Walking floor for paving machine

ABSTRACT

A system is provided. The system includes a conveyor and a walking floor. The conveyor is configured to convey paving material from a hopper of a paving machine. The walking floor is immediately adjacent to the conveyor. The walking floor is configured to convey at least a portion of the paving material to the conveyor.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to paving machines, and more particularly to paving material movement through the paving machine.

BACKGROUND

A conveyor is present in a front hopper of existing paving machines to convey paving material from the hopper to another unit on the paving machine. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,804 relates to an improved extended auger arrangement and an improved asphalt paver with a tractor unit and a screed assembly, including a main screed and extendable screeds, having such an improved extended auger arrangement, the extendable screeds extending laterally outwardly from the main screed such that the screed assembly spans a width substantially greater than the width of the tractor unit.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In one aspect of the present disclosure a system is provided. The system includes a conveyor and a walking floor. The conveyor is configured to convey paving material from a hopper of a paving machine. The walking floor is immediately adjacent to the conveyor. The walking floor is configured to convey at least a portion of the paving material to the conveyor.

In another aspect, a method for paving material movement in a paving machine is provided. The method provides a conveyor to convey paving material from a hopper of the paving machine. The method also provides a walking floor immediately adjacent to the conveyor. Further, the method conveys at least a portion of the paving material from the walking floor to the conveyor.

Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a paving machine, according to one aspect of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the paving machine shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for paving material movement through the paving machine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a paving machine 100 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in the accompanied figures, the paving machine 100 may include an asphalt paver 102. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the paving machine 100 may also include any other machine used to carry any other types of paving materials as well.

Referring to FIG. 1, the paving machine 100 may include drive tracks 104 for moving the paving machine 100 along a roadway. The drive tracks 104 are powered by a combustion engine (not shown) housed within an engine compartment 106. A hopper 108 may be positioned forwardly of the engine compartment 106. The hopper 108 may be configured to receive paving material from a dump truck or the like.

Further one or more slatted conveyors 110 may be present in the hopper 108. The conveyor 110 may serve to move the paving material rearwardly through the hopper 108, through a tunnel 112 defined in the engine compartment 106 and to a spreading or distribution mechanism (not shown in figures). Parameters related to the conveyor 110 such as, for example, length, use of single or multiple conveyors, and the like, may vary without any limitation.

The distribution mechanism may be configured to distribute the paving material to the roadway. To this end, the conveyor 110 may move the paving material from the hopper 108, through the engine compartment 106 and to the spreading mechanism located at a rear end 114 of the paving machine 100. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the distributing mechanism may include a laterally extending trough to receive the paving material from the conveyor 110. Moreover, a pair of augers (not shown in figures) may be rotatably mounted within the trough for spreading the paving material on the roadway forwardly of a screed. The screed may serve to press and level the paving material on the roadway. The paving machine 100 may also include an operator station 116. It should be noted that the paving machine 100 shown in the accompanied figures is on an exemplary basis. The paving machine 100 may include other components not described herein.

The present disclosure relates to a walking floor 120 located at a front end 118 of the paving machine 100. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the walking floor 120 may be located immediately adjacent to the conveyor 110. One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that during operation of the paving machine 100, at least a portion of the paving material may collect or fall in an area adjacent to conveyor 110, specifically where the walking floor 120 is located. The walking floor 120 may be configured to convey the portion of the paving material to the conveyor 110. It should be noted that the walking floor 120 may prevent build-up of the paving material in the front end 118 of the paving machine 100.

A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the walking floor 120 may include live floors or reciprocating conveyors known in the art. These live floors are typically used in loading and unloading of load in front end loaders. For example, the walking floor 120 may be made of a series of floor members referred to as floor slats. Typically, the floor slats are powered by a hydraulic drive, usually located underneath the walking floor 120. The floor slats may be disposed in side by side relation to form a flat surface or floor. Further, each of the floor slats is movable fore and aft, either in unison, or in opposition, in order to move the paving material disposed on the walking floor in a fixed direction.

Referring to FIG. 2, in one embodiment, the walking floor 120 may be located in the hopper 108 of the paving machine 100, such that the walking floor 120 may be in front of the conveyor 110. In one embodiment, the walking floor 120 may be placed within the hopper 108 in such a way so as to prevent the paving material from falling through or collecting in the front end 118 of the paving machine 100, in an area in proximity to the conveyor 110.

Moreover, a direction of movement of the walking floor 120 may be same as a direction of movement of the conveyor 110, as depicted using arrowhead P in FIG. 2. Also, the walking floor 120 may be positioned substantially parallel relative to the conveyor 110. In one embodiment, the walking floor 120 may be positioned substantially inclined relative to the conveyor 110.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, one end of the walking floor 120 may be in contact with an inner wall of the hopper 108 and another end of the walking floor 120 may be in contact with the conveyor 110. It should be noted that orientation and positioning of the walking floor 120 relative to the conveyor 110 may vary. Additionally, parameters such as speed of movement of the walking floor, length L of the walking floor 120, type of the walking floor 120 used, time and duration of operation of the walking floor 120, and the like may vary. For example, in one embodiment, the walking floor 120 may extend throughout a length of the hopper 108, such that the conveyor 110 may be replaced with the walking floor 120. In another embodiment, the walking floor 120 may be continuously kept in an active or on state, based on an operation mode of the paving machine 100. For example, when the paving material is being delivered to the asphalt paver 102, the walking floor 120 may be kept active. Moreover, the walking floor 120 may be inactive or off state when the paving machine 100 is shutdown.

A method 300 for movement of the paving material through the paving machine 100 is described in connection with FIG. 3.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

In the hopper 108 of existing paving machines a non conveying flat area, also referred to as apron, may exist between the inner wall of the hopper 108 and the conveyor 110. Generally, the paving material has a tendency to stick to the apron. Further, as more paving material may be placed in the hopper 108 of the existing paving machine, the apron may continue to build up with the more paving material. As time passes, the paving material built up on the apron may become cold. Large aggregates of the paving material may then begin to separate from small aggregates in a process called material segregation. Segregation of the paving material may lead to mat defects when the paving material is finally laid down on the roadway.

In the present disclosure, as described above, the walking floor 120 may be provided in place of the apron. A person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the walking floor 120 facilitates in conveying the paving material to the conveyor 110 of the paving machine 100, and may thereby prevent the build-up of the paving material. Also, the walking floor 120 may eliminate need for a hydraulic folding apron as well as ground crew to manually clean out the hopper 108 of the paving machine 100.

At step 302, the conveyor 110 may be provided to convey the paving material from the hopper 108 of the paving machine 100. At step 304, the walking floor 120 may be provided immediately adjacent to the conveyor 110. As described above, the walking floor 120 may be so positioned as to prevent the build-up of the paving material in the area adjacent to the conveyor 110.

Further, at step 306, the portion of the paving material that may fall or collect on the walking floor 120 may be conveyed to the conveyor 110. In one embodiment as the paving material is being delivered to the paving machine 100, the walking floor 120 may operate keeping a continual flow of the portion of the paving material to the conveyor 110. Hence, constant movement of the paving material may prevent the paving material from becoming cold or segregated.

While aspects of the present disclosure have been particularly shown and described with reference to the embodiments above, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various additional embodiments may be contemplated by the modification of the disclosed machines, systems and methods without departing from the spirit and scope of what is disclosed. Such embodiments should be understood to fall within the scope of the present disclosure as determined based upon the claims and any equivalents thereof. 

1. A system comprising: a conveyor configured to convey paving material from a hopper of a paving machine; and a walking floor immediately adjacent to the conveyor, the walking floor configured to convey at least a portion of the paving material to the conveyor.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the paving machine further includes an asphalt paver.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the walking floor is in front of the conveyor.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein a direction of movement of the walking floor and a direction of movement of the conveyor is the same.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the walking floor is located in the hopper of the paving machine.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the walking floor is substantially parallel relative to the conveyor.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the walking floor is substantially inclined relative to the conveyor.
 8. A method comprising: providing a conveyor to convey paving material from a hopper of a paving machine; providing a walking floor immediately adjacent to the conveyor; and conveying at least a portion of the paving material from the walking floor to the conveyor.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the walking floor immediately adjacent to the conveyor further includes providing the walking floor in front of the conveyor.
 10. The method of claim 8 further including moving the walking floor in a direction same as a direction of movement of the conveyor.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the walking floor immediately adjacent to the conveyor further includes providing the walking floor in the hopper of the paving machine.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the walking floor immediately adjacent to the conveyor further includes providing the walking floor substantially parallel relative to the conveyor.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the walking floor immediately adjacent to the conveyor further includes providing the walking floor substantially inclined relative to the conveyor.
 14. A paving machine comprising: a power source; a hopper configured to receive paving material; a conveyor configured to convey the paving material from the hopper; and a walking floor immediately adjacent to the conveyor, the walking floor configured to convey at least a portion of the paving material to the conveyor.
 15. The paving machine of claim 14, wherein the paving machine further includes an asphalt paver.
 16. The paving machine of claim 14, wherein the walking floor is in front of the conveyor.
 17. The paving machine of claim 14, wherein a direction of movement of the walking floor and a direction of movement of the conveyor is the same.
 18. The paving machine of claim 14, wherein the walking floor is located in the hopper.
 19. The paving machine of claim 14, wherein the walking floor is substantially parallel relative to the conveyor.
 20. The paving machine of claim 14, wherein the walking floor is substantially inclined relative to the conveyor. 